BIOS

Greek PM optimistic about country's progress regaining credibility

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and the Prime Minister of Greece, Antonis Samaras, give a statement prior to a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, January 8, 2013 7:24AM EST

BERLIN -- Greece's prime minister stressed his country was determined to win back credibility in Europe, and was delivering on the reforms and austerity needed to achieve that goal, as he met Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Antonis Samaras' visit to Berlin was his second since taking office last summer.

"I would like to make clear up front that our country is undertaking great efforts that are linked with great sacrifices to get things back on track," Samaras said during a brief appearance alongside Merkel before they met at the chancellery. "We are trying to win back credibility, on the part of the people of Europe and on the part of the markets."

Greece has been kept afloat since May 2010 by rescue loans from the other 16 European Union countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund. In return for the loans, the lenders -- Merkel's Germany in particular -- have insisted on a series of economic reforms, tax raises and spending cuts.

Merkel said she would "of course be interested in what progress the implementation of the Greek reform program is making," but didn't offer any assessment.

In remarks to reporters earlier Tuesday before he attended a closed-doors conference organized by German newspaper Die Welt, Samaras said that he considers "the glass half full" and was in Berlin with a message of optimism.

"We are delivering and Europe is helping," he said.

Merkel said she also would discuss with Samaras the economic situation in Germany, where growth has slowed over the past year, "because we also must do everything to guarantee economic growth and, with that, job security."

She stressed the need for greater economic integration across Europe.

"We must agree on stronger economic policy cooperation by June this year, and there is plenty of work ahead of us," she said.

The two leaders took no questions and planned no statements after their meeting.